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Professor Ransford Gyampo, the general secretary of the University of Ghana chapter of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has said that teachers cannot be coerced to return to the classrooms to teach.
His comments come after the National Labour Commission sued the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) over its nationwide strike.
The NLC is imploring the court to secure an interlocutory injunction to compel the lecturers to return to work.
It said the suit is to also force UTAG to call off its strike in compliance with its 13 January directive.
However, speaking to Beatrice Adu on the Big Bulletin on Tuesday (February 1), Gyampo said “is teaching done by compulsion? Can teaching be done by duress? Will an order asking us to go back to the lecture hall necessarily translate into improvement in conditions of service?
“Can you compel an angry and hungry teacher who is on strike fighting for better conditions of service, can you force that teacher back to the classroom to teach? Is teaching not a selfless act? Is teaching not based on conviction and one’s own philosophy?”
Compel your members to return to work
Ofosu Asamoah, the executive secretary of the National Labour Commission (NLC), has urged university authorities to compel lecturers to resume lectures.
The University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) has been on strike since 10 January to demand better conditions of service.
Speaking with Kweku Nhyira-Addo on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Tuesday (18 January) Ofosu Asamoah urged managers of the various university campuses to take responsibility and ensure their teachers return to work.
“Our strike is legal”
The members of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) said their strike is legal despite a ruling by the National Labour Commission (NLC) that it is illegal.
The NLC gave its ruling after a meeting with representatives of UTAG, the ministry of employment and the ministry of finance on Thursday (13 January).
However, a Facebook post by the general secretary of the University of Ghana branch of UTAG, Prof Ransford Gyampo indicated that UTAG is prepared to meet the commission in court if it comes to that.
“Simple report of our meeting with the National Labor Commission: They say our strike is illegal. We say it is legal. They say we should call it off. We say we won’t. What next? Court or sacking us? They should bring it on.”
Nicholas Brown – Asaase Radio
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